When You Need Care on the Road

While you hope you won’t need medical treatment while traveling, you should be prepared in case it is necessary. Here are a few things you need to know when using TRICARE away from home.

Before traveling outside of the area where you live, consult with your MTF or TRICARE Service Center and learn how best to access urgent care and avoid out-of-pocket charges.

They can advise you whether you need to call your PCM before seeking Urgent Care or if you should call 1-888-TRIWEST. When in doubt you can dial 1-888-TRIWEST to learn the status of your MTF’s Urgent Care Notification Process.

Seek emergency care at the nearest hospital immediately.

Emergency care does not require prior authorization before treatment. However, your PCM and TriWest should be notified within 24 hours or by the next business day of any emergency inpatient admission.

Use TRICARE’s pharmacy options.

If you forget to bring your medications or need to fill a new prescription, TRICARE’s pharmacy options are available to you anywhere in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands:

Call 1-888-TRIWEST (1-888-874-9378) if you have any questions.